No. 28. As Christianity increafed and prevailed, more particularly in the Cities of the Roman Empire, it was found neceffary yet farther to enlarge the Epifcopal Office; and as there was commonly a Bishop in every Great City, so in the Metropolis, or Mother City of every Province (wherein the Courts of Judicature were beld) there was an Archbishop or Metropolitan, who had Ecclefiaftical Jurifdiction over all the Churches within that Province; he was Superior to all the Bishops within thofe Limits to him it belong'd to Ordain or to Ratifie the Ordinations of all the Bishops within his Province, fo that without his Confirmation they were look'd upon as Null and Void: Once at least within the Year he was to fummon the Bishops under him to a Synod, to enquire into, and direct the Ecclefiaftical Affairs within that Province, to inspect the Lives and Manners, the Opinions and Principles of his Bifhops, to admonish, reprove and fufpend them that were Disorderly and Irregular; to have the Hearing and Deter mination of Controverfies, and to regulate the Behaviour and Deportment of the Clergy. The Original of the Metropolitical Office feems to have been partly to comply with the Occafions of the People, who often reforted to the Metropolis. for the dispatch of their Affairs, and fo might fitly discharge their Ecclefiaftical and Civil Concerns at once; and becaufe partly of the great

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Confluence of People to that City, that the Bishop of it might have Preheminence above the reft, and the Honour of the Church bear fome Proportion to the Dignity of the State.

After this there arose another Branch of the Epifcopal Office, as much fuperior to that of Metropolitans, as theirs was to Ordinary Bishops: These were called Primates and Patriarchs, and exercised a Jurisdiction over many Provinces: To him belonged the last Determination of all Appeals from all the Provinces in Differences of the Clergy; he had a whole Diocefe under his Infpection, which according to the old Roman Notion of that Word, confifted of many Provinces. He Ordain'd all the Metropolitans un❤ der him, fummon'd them to Councils, corrected and reform'd the Mifdemeanors they were guilty of, and from his Judgment and Sentence, in things properly within his own Cognizance, there lay no Appeal. The Patriarchs, tho not Superiour to Primates in Jurifdiction and Power, were always esteemed more Honourable, by reafon of the Dignity of thofe Cities wherein their Sees were fix'd, as at Rome, Conftantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerufalem, a Title and Dignity which they retain to this Day.

The next Office to Bishops was that of Pref byters, whofe Duty was to Preach to the People, to Adminifter Baptifm, Confecrate the Eucharift, and in fome measure to affift the Bishop in Pub

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lick Miniftrations, and in dispatching the Affairs of the Church; and tho' by their Ordination they had a Power conferr'd upon them to admi nifter Holy Things, yet when the Church came to be fettled upon the Foundation of Regularity and Order, they were not admitted to exercife this Power without a Licenfe from the Bishop of the Diocese.

After thefe came Deacons, who were immediately Ordained by the Apostles to attend upon, and take the Charge of thofe daily Provifions that were made for poor and indigent Chriftians, and were obliged to a peculiar Service at the Altar at the Adminiftration of the Sacrament; It was the Duty of a Deacon to diftribute the Money, that was given for Maintenance of the Poor, and to wait upon the Celebration of the Eucharift, which being confecrated by the Bi fhop or Presbyter,, he deliver'd the Sacramental Elements to the People. Befides this, the Dea cons were admitted to Preach and to Baptize, and were employed in many Parts of the PublickService, efpecially in Guiding and Directing the Congregations. The Number of them in any one Place was ufually reftrain'd to Seven, this being the number originally inftituted by the Apoftles; they were appointed to affift the Prefbyters, to behave themselves with all becoming Reverence and Refpect, and not to fit down before them, without a particular Leave and Command.

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Out of the Body of thefe Deacons, there was ufually one chofen to over-look the reft, the Arch-deacon, an Office very ancient, and of that Authority in the Church, that the Perfon by way of Distinction was called, the Eye of the Bishop, and his Duty was to infpect the Deport ment of the Deacons, and to take care of the feveral Parts and Places of the Diocefe.

This is a fmall Sketch of the Government of the Primitive Church, fufficient to demonftrare the Divine Right of Epifcopacy, and the Diftin tion of the Three Orders, of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons. The Chriftians of the earliest Ages believ'd, that their Clergy received their Commiffion from Heaven, and had that juft Regard for the Divinity of their Titles, that they used them with Veneration and Reverence, as if they had been more than Mortal: No Respect, no Submiffion was thought great enough, they would Kifs their Hands, and Embrace their Feet, wait upon them upon the Road, and always receive and difmifs them with the Univerfal Confluence of the People, The Roman Emperors would entertain them at their own. Tables, tho' in the meanest and most despicable Habit; they feldom went a Journey without the Company of a Bishop, and fo infinitely tender were they of the Dignity of the Prieft bood, that one of them profeffed he would cover their Infirmities with his Imperial Robe.

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Let this be an Immortal Example before the Eyes of Princes, who can never acquit themfelves as Defenders of the Faith, without Defending and Aggrandizing the Privileges of the Clergy. Epifcopacy was the Original Government of the Church, as Monarchy of the State; may they both eternally Flourish, and may it be equally Criminal, may the fame Capital Punishments, the fame Degrees of Vengeance and Publick Infamy purfue the Promoters of Presbytery in the one, as follow the Traytor who would Murder his Sovereign to establish a Commonwealth in the other.